This invention relates to packaging and is particularly concerned with packaging in which package components are fabricated from flat blanks, such as paperboard blanks.
In many instances packaging is manufactured for a specific product which is to be packaged. In these situations the packaging is generally unique to the product although it is possible that it could be used for other products. Heretofore packaging comprising telescoping package halves has usually involved unique inner and outer telescoping halves. This means that different size blankets must be cut for each and that suitable inventories of each must be stocked in order to meet the packaging needs for the products involved.
It is heretofore also been recognized that manufacturing and inventory requirements can be simplified by using a common blank to form both telescopic halves of a package. An example of this is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,761.
The blank of that patent has two sets of fold, or score, lines. Folds are made along one set of score lines in one blank for one half of the package, and the other half of the package is fabricated by folding another blank along the other set of score lines. The respective sets of score lines define two different main rectangular areas of the blank, which main rectangular areas become the end walls (i.e. the top and bottom walls) of the package. Each blank comprises four sidewall segment areas along the sides of the blank and four flap areas at each of the four corners of the blank. Rather than each flap area joining to a corresponding one of the sidewall segment areas, the flap areas are arranged in pairs with the two flap areas of each pair joining to a corresponding one of a pair of opposite sidewall areas at the opposite ends of the sidewall area. The other pair of opposite sidewall areas are separated from the flap areas by slots.
When one of the two package halves is formed from one of these blanks, the side segment areas are folded out of the plane of the main area along the appropriate set of score lines, and the flap areas are folded relative to the sidewall area to which they join so as to overlap the respective immediately adjacent sidewall areas. A package component is thereby fabricated in which the main rectangular area of the blank has become the end (i.e. top or bottom) wall, the sidewall segment areas have become the sidewall, and the flap areas have become the four corners of the sidewall. The other package half is fabricated in an analogous manner using the other set of score lines. When the two halves are telescoped together, each corner of the telescoped package has a construction in which along one side there are four thicknesses of material while there are only two thicknesses along the other side.
The present invention is directed to a new and improved package construction in which a common blank is used to form both inner and outer telescoping package halves but which does not require separate sets of fold, or score, lines which are selectively utilized depending upon whether an inner or an outer package half is to be formed from the blank. Rather the invention provides a construction whereby the fold lines of the sidewall segment areas about the main end wall area are the same regardless of whether an inner or outer telescopic half is to be fabricated, whereby the main end wall area is the same for both inner and outer halves. For a rectangular shaped main end wall area the blank has four corresponding sidewall area segments each of which integrally joins with the main end wall area along one of the four sides of the main end wall area. The blank is provided with flap areas at the intersection of extensions of the sidewall segment areas (i.e. at the four corners of the blank) so that each flap area has two sidewall segment areas immediately adjacent to it. Each sidewall area integrally joins with a corresponding flap area, and each flap area is separated from the other immediately adjacent sidewall segment area by a cut, which may take the form of a V-notch. The fabrication of the blank into either an inner telescoping half or an outer telescoping half is determined by the amount of overlap of each flap area with the other immediately adjacent sidewall segment area when the sidewall and flap area are folded into their fabricated positions. By increasing the amount of overlap of a flap area with the other immediately adjacent sidewall area segment the four corners of the free edge of the package half are increasingly drawn toward the interior. An inner telescoping half is formed by drawing the four corners of the free edge more inwardly than is the case for an outer telescoping half. In other words the outer telescoping half has the four corners of the free edge drawn less inwardly than the corresponding four corners of the free edge of an inner telescoping half, yet both halves have congruent main end wall areas. A packaging component formed from such a blank may be used either as one half of a telescoping package or it may be used by itself as a tray.
The invention possesses even further advantages. Increased corner strength is also provided, particularly for two telescoping halves whereby at each corner of the telescoping halves each side comprises three thicknesses of material. Where the material from which the blank is made is in the form of corrugated paperboard the direction of the corrugations can be used to advantage. By making the corrguations run in particular directions in the assembled packaging increased vertical stacking strength and/or increased resistance to bulging of the sidewalls can result.
Still another feature involves the use of indicia on the blank. Different indicia can be applied to opposite faces of the blank and the manner in which the blank is fabricated into packaging can provide for the indicia to be on either the exterior or the interior of the package. Thus for telescoping package halves embodying the invention, it is possible for a single inventory supply of blanks having such indicia to be used to fabricate both inner and outer telescoping package halves for use in packaging different types of products and providing accurate identification on the package exterior.
The foregoing features, advantages and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time in carrying out the invention.